Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives.
English Standard Version (ESV)
While the number seventy highlights Gideon's prominence and royal aspirations, the phrase "of his body begotten" emphasizes that these were his own sons, not adopted ones, underscoring the lineage he was building through his numerous wives. This detail subtly reveals how Gideon, despite refusing a crown, began to live like a king, multiplying his household and authority.
Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After Gideon's death, the nation immediately abandoned God and pursued idolatry, showing no loyalty even to Gideon's family. He had fathered seventy sons through multiple wives, a sign of his princely status following his military success, but this large family would later become the target of violence and political maneuvering.
Gideon, the humble hero who refused a crown, ended up living like one. What does this verse reveal about his later life?
After his incredible victory over the Midianites, Gideon was offered kingship, which he refused (Judges 8:22-23). However, the text in Judges 8:30 suggests he lived in a manner far grander than a humble judge. The fact that he had seventy sons, fathered by many wives, paints a picture of a man who accumulated wealth and influence, adopting customs associated with royalty, particularly in his household and harem.
This isn't necessarily a condemnation, but it highlights a shift. While he served Israel faithfully as a judge for forty years, bringing peace, his later life shows the trappings of power. The verse hints at a lifestyle that, while customary for rulers and reflecting his importance (as having many sons signified status), also echoed the practices forbidden to Israel's future kings in Deuteronomy 17:17, such as multiplying wives and accumulating great wealth.
Seventy sons! What does this incredible number really signify beyond just a large family?
In the ancient Near East, and particularly in the Old Testament context, a large number of sons was a significant indicator of a man's status, influence, and prosperity. The phrase 'sons of his body begotten' emphasizes they were his direct heirs, not adopted children. This abundance of offspring wasn't just about legacy; it was a visible sign of power and security.
Having many sons meant a man had more hands for labor, more soldiers for defense, and more potential allies in a complex tribal society. It was a tangible representation of his 'importance,' as noted in the commentary context. Gideon, though he refused a crown, clearly established a powerful and prominent household, and his seventy sons were a testament to that.
Ask a follow-up
Gideon's life ended in peace, but did his large family and polygamous lifestyle unintentionally sow seeds of future conflict?
While Judges 8:30 states Gideon died in peace, the very prosperity and large number of sons it describes also point to the instability that followed his death. As the commentaries highlight, Gideon's household, with its many sons and likely concubines, created a situation where succession was complex and contested.
This verse, when read in light of what immediately follows in chapter 9, becomes poignant. Gideon's son, Abimelech, born from a concubine in Shechem, manipulates his way to power by murdering sixty-nine of his brothers. The large number of heirs, a sign of Gideon's prominence, ironically becomes a source of bloody conflict and division precisely because there wasn't a clear, godly line of succession. Gideon's pursuit of a king-like status, including many wives, contributed to the political turmoil that plagued Israel after his era.
Gideon's large family, while a sign of his influence and prosperity, also highlights the morally complex period he lived in, foreshadowing the instability that followed his death.
c. 1200-1100 BC
Period of the Judges
Following the conquest of Canaan, the Israelite tribes were led by charismatic individuals known as Judges. These leaders often emerged during times of oppression to deliver the people.
c. 1170 BC
Gideon's Victory over Midian
Gideon, a judge from the tribe of Manasseh, led a remarkably small army to a decisive victory against the Midianites, who had been oppressing Israel for seven years.
After Gideon's victory
Gideon Refuses Kingship
Despite his immense success, Gideon refused offers to become a hereditary king or ruler over Israel, emphasizing God's sole sovereignty.
During Gideon's later years— this verse
Gideon's Household and Polygamy
Gideon settled in Ophrah, establishing a large household with many wives, which resulted in a large number of sons. This practice, while common among rulers, was contrary to the ideal Israelite law.
After Gideon's death
Rise of Abimelech
Following Gideon's death, his son Abimelech, born to a concubine from Shechem, usurped power by having his seventy half-brothers murdered.
c. 1130 BC
Abimelech's Reign and Fall
Abimelech ruled as a tyrannical king for three years, ultimately leading to conflict with the city of Shechem and his own violent death.
This verse describes a future king's limitations, specifically warning against multiplying wives, which directly contrasts with Gideon's large family and highlights a deviation from ideal governance standards.
Genesis 46:26This passage uses a similar phrase, 'out of his body,' to describe Jacob's descendants, emphasizing the biological lineage and vast number, much like the description of Gideon's many sons.
Judges 10:4This verse mentions a judge who had thirty sons, further illustrating the ancient practice of leaders having many children, which was seen as a sign of prominence and power.
Judges 9:2This verse shows how Gideon's own son, Abimelech, later leveraged the large number of brothers to assert his claim to power, demonstrating a direct consequence of Gideon's polygamous lifestyle.
1 Samuel 8:5The Israelites demanded a king 'like the other nations,' revealing a societal trend towards centralized power and the accumulation of resources, including large households, which Gideon's life exemplified.
gillJudges 8:30: "And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives."
And Gideon had seventy sons of his body begotten,.... Not after his victories, for it is plain he had children before; mention is made of Jether, his firstborn, as a youth able to draw a sword, and slay with it, Judges 8:20 but this was the number of all his sons, both before and after, and a large number it was; and the phrase "of his body begotten", or "that went out of his thigh" is used to sho…
ellicottJudges 8:30: "And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives."
(30) Threescore and ten sons. —According to Oriental fashion, no account is taken of his daughters. He had many wives.—It is clear that Gideon was a king in all but name. This is the most magnificent, but the least honourable, period of his career. In Deuteronomy 17:17 it had been said of the future king, “Neither shall he multiply wives to himself. . . . neither shall he greatly multiply to himse…
While the number seventy highlights Gideon's prominence and royal aspirations, the phrase "of his body begotten" emphasizes that these were his own sons, not adopted ones, underscoring the lineage he was building through his numerous wives. This detail subtly reveals how Gideon, despite refusing a crown, began to live like a king, multiplying his household and authority.
After Gideon's death, the nation immediately abandoned God and pursued idolatry, showing no loyalty even to Gideon's family. He had fathered seventy sons through multiple wives, a sign of his princely status following his military success, but this large family would later become the target of violence and political maneuvering.
After Gideon's death, the nation immediately abandoned God and pursued idolatry, showing no loyalty even to Gideon's family. He had fathered seventy sons through multiple wives, a sign of his princely status following his military success, but this large family would later become the target of violence and political maneuvering.
"Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives." — While the number seventy highlights Gideon's prominence and royal aspirations, the phrase "of his body begotten" emphasizes that these were his own sons, not adopted ones, underscoring the lineage…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026